Kriti Mehrotra
As a Jesse Vile-directed three-part documentary series delving deep into the attempted robbery at the iconic Millennium Dome in 2000, Netflix’s ‘The Diamond Heist’ is simply gripping. That’s because it revisits this complex offense through the eyes of not only the criminals involved but also the investigators who foiled all their aspirations by always being a step ahead. Amongst them is John “Swini” Swinfield, the then-Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) of the Flying Squad under the Serious and Organised Crime Command, a branch specializing in armed robberies.
John “Swini” Swinfield’s Dedication to His Job Has Been Unequivocal
Although not much about John “Swini” Swinfield’s background, early years, or experiences are publicly available as of writing, it is well-known that he is a pillar within the London Police Force. It was reportedly back in the early-to-mid-1980s that he joined the Metropolitan Police as a fresh graduate to seemingly fulfill his dream of serving his beloved city, only to never look back. This department, often referred to as the Met London Police or simply the Met, is essentially the same thing as New Scotland Yard – the latter is just the name of their headquarters building. In other words, they are Greater London’s primary law enforcement agency.
According to reports, in the years John has served within the Met, he has held several different positions, ranging from patrol officer to specialized units’ team lead, upon proving his mettle. However, it was arguably in the Flying Squad that he did his most notable work, especially as this division in itself is deemed elite since it handles armed robbery cases of national importance. From what we can tell, he was undertaking and overseeing several big operations with utmost diligence by the late 1990s, unaware his field’s reputation would soon change owing to reports of extreme corruption.
As per the aforementioned documentary, the Flying Squad was all about solving crimes yet making a splash while doing so, which ultimately even culminated in a television drama series about them, ‘The Sweeny.’ What no one ever expected was that corruption would soon seep so deep within some areas of this squad that internal investigations estimated that as many as 250 officers might be crooked. Nevertheless, John’s standing was never once questioned – per many, he has always been one of the good ones, and when this controversy broke, he dedicated every bit of his energy to proving people like him do exist to successfully run this specialized branch.
John Led the Operation that Foiled the 2000 Millennium Dome Heist
John was proudly serving as the Detective Chief Inspector of the Flying Squad when he reportedly decided to do his best to restore the reputation of his elite division to what it once was. Little did he know the opportunity would soon arise right in front of him in the form of a February 2000 attempted robbery of a secure van that was scheduled to make a multimillion-pound delivery. It went awry, but the assailants managed to escape, only for there to be another eerily similar failed robbery merely five months later, making him realize it was likely the work of the same crew.
John subsequently began focusing on this case so as to not only do his job and get these criminals off the street but also hopefully secure a high-profile massive win for his beloved department. Thus, when an unrelated robbery helped identify one of the crew members, it was decided he would be let go and carefully surveilled because the DCI was certain another big hit was coming. He knew the crew wouldn’t stop after two failed tries that could have netted them close to £10 million each time, so he wanted to be ready for their next move and then be one step ahead of them.
Through this surveillance is how John and his team identified Ray Betson to be “The Boss” of their particular next move, especially as the target also became the De Beers Diamond Exhibit. This exhibit in the Millennium Dome comprised many jewels, including the 203-carat Millennium Star, the total estimated worth of which was around £350 million at the time – a life-changing sum. However, thanks to the surveillance and John’s instinct to stick with this case for months on end, when the group carried out their plans on November 7, 2000, they were caught red-handed.
With Several Accolades Under His Belt, John Continues to Serve His City and its People
John’s hard work and clarity on what needed to be done paved the way for the arrest and conviction of the entire crew, which consequently resulted in him getting a lot of acclaim, too. In fact, over his four decades of service as of writing, for all his hard work, he has received at least 24 formal commendations, was once honored with the Queen’s Commendation for Gallantry, and was even presented with the Queen’s Police Medal in 2020. He takes pride in what he does and doesn’t shy away from embracing opportunities or taking risks if it means he could be bettering his city and its people in one way or another, all of which takes incredible courage.
So, we’re happy to report that it appears as if John is still a significant part of the Met Police, but as a leader of a covert unit within the Specialist Crime Command, per last public records. Considering the fact what he does probably paints a huge target on his back by criminals, it comes as no surprise that he currently prefers to keep his personal experiences well away from the spotlight. So, all we know is that he is likely a family man who continues to lead a good, comfortable life in his city of London, England, today.
Read More: What Happened to the Millennium Dome Diamond Robbers?
